Page 1 of Lonely Heart

1

IVY

I never expectedto feel such overwhelming physical discomfort during such a joyous occasion. It seemed impossible for that to be the case.

The clock struck midnight just moments ago, and everyone around me shouted with glee.

Happy New Year.

Disappointment moved through me, the weight of the world resting heavily on my shoulders, as I watched nearly everyone pull their spouse, significant other, or date for the evening, into an embrace before kissing them passionately.

I wasn’t so lucky.

Another year gone, and I was still alone, despite all my best efforts.

And I’d tried. I’d gone all out to find someone, to make the possibility of finding someone to connect with easier. I’d gone to places I never thought I’d go. I’d done things I never thought I’d do.

It all started a year ago. My efforts, that is. The actual problem started long before that.

Just shy of six years ago, I was fresh out of college and excited about my future. I knew what I was doing in my professional lifeand had a job waiting for me. It was the same job I’d been doing in a reduced capacity while I was still in school.

I guess that was one of the perks of being a Westwood. Aside from the large, loving family and big parties like this one, financial security and a thriving career were waiting for me. Maybe that was the reason why I’d always worked extra hard to prove to my staff that I was worthy of the position I held within the company. I didn’t want anyone to think I didn’t have to work to be where I was, that everything was simply handed to me.

The Westwood Company was opened several generations ago, my father, Malcolm, taking over after my grandfather, Larry, retired. In a few short years, my dad would retire, and my eldest brother, Wyatt, would assume that role.

The Westwood Company was one of the world’s largest manufacturers of confectioner—chocolate being our bread and butter. But in our hometown, the headquarters of The Westwood Company, we did more than just produce sweet treats to send all over the world.

We had Westwood’s, a place people could come from all over to visit and learn about while having fun with their family and friends. There was plenty to enjoy, from the chocolate factory and museum to the amusement park and the hotel.

The Westwood Hotel was mine. Or, well, it was my responsibility. I could still remember being a teenager and working my first summer job in the hotel. I’d loved it from the start, and ever since, I knew I wanted it to be the place I eventually became responsible for the operation of within the company.

So, I worked my tail off and made that happen. When it came to my professional life, I couldn’t complain. I loved the work I did, and it was nice knowing my future was secure. While I couldn’t complain about anything when it came to my career,it was when I officially took over in the full-time capacity that everything changed for me.

Because that was the year Wyatt met Rhea. At first, I was ecstatic. Truly, I was happy for my older brother. He and Rhea had since gotten married and were head over heels for one another. Cooper, the second oldest of my siblings, happened to meet the love of his life by accident, and they’d tied the knot last year. Finally, there was Tate. He was third in line—in both age and in finding his happy ending. Though, considering he’d wound up marrying my best friend, Ava, early last year before Cooper and Skye got married, maybe that put him second on the marriage front.

While I was genuinely happy for everyone in my family now, it was safe to say I was frustrated.

And lonely.

God, I was so lonely.

Three brothers. Three weddings. And I hadn’t so much as had a date.

I was tired. So tired.

Tired of being alone, yes. But tired of pretending, too. Tired of doing so much just to be certain I was always prepared for that chance encounter or to put myself in places in hopes of meeting someone.

My eyes scanned the ballroom—a ballroom I’d been responsible for setting up for the New Year’s Eve celebration. We were the Westwood family. We didn’t miss an opportunity to celebrate.

Looking around, I imagined what it would be like. So many people wrapped up in the arms of a lover. And here I was, brushing my hand up and down my opposite arm, wondering if I’d ever get my chance to feel that. How was it possible to be surrounded by so many people and feel so alone?

I’d been getting antsy somewhere around the time Cooper and Skye got together, especially considering Cooper hadn’t been looking for or hoping to meet anyone. Things only kicked up a notch for me when Tate and Ava got together. It wasn’t long after we’d celebrated the new year last year when I decided it was time to take some action.

Work had consumed such large chunks of odd hours for me. The hotel wasn’t merely a nine-to-five gig. Sure, there were days when I worked typical hours, but there were others when that didn’t happen. Generally, whenever there was an event being hosted at the hotel—a conference or a wedding, for example—I adjusted my hours accordingly throughout the week to make sure I’d be available during that event.

And while I’d met a lot of people at the hotel—we dealt with hundreds of people a day—nobody had ever shown any interest in me.

I figured it was probably strange to believe someone would just walk through the front door and sweep me off my feet. There wasn’t anything to connect with an individual on in that case.

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